Imitation travertin and method of making same



Fflay mi, E925.,

5.5. ZQTTOALH IMITATION TRAvERT-IN AND METHOD @F.MAKING SAME:

Filed Nov. 28,1924

Fi -l Patented May 12, 1925. i

IMIIATION TRAVERTIN AND :METHOD` OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed November V28, 1924. Serial No. 752,743. l

To all whom t may concem:

Be it known that I, SALVATORE S. -ZoT'roLI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, State ofMassachusetts, have invented Aa certain new and .useful Improvement in Imitation Trave'rtin face even when dressed. It is very desirablev for use as a facing for walls of terra cotta, brick, concrete, orv any other sort of wall in building construction. l

One object of the invention is to produce an imitation travertin which will be much cheaper than the natural travertin and which can'be formed in molds, to the desired shape and thickness. l

Another object is to make animitation travertin which shall be much lighter in weight than the natural travertin.

Another feature of the invention is to make the imitation travertin with a semirough backing whichshall cause it to adhere better to the wallon which it is used asa facing.

Another object is to construct it in such -manner that it shall be both tougherthan the natural travertin, that is, less brittle, and which can be nailed to the wall or to the support Without so much danger of chipping- The invention will be fully understood 'from thefollowing descriptionwhen taken b in connection lwith the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out' and clearly-'defined in the -claims yat the close ofthis specification.

Inl the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a mold having a thin layer of cementin plastic state show- Y ing the first step in the formation ofthe imitation travertin. y

' Fig. 2 is a-plan view ofl Fig. 1 showing in addition thereto the plastic mass as -it appears at the second-stage of the process as will be described hereinafter.

Fig. Sis a section oii line 3-3, Fig. 42. Fig. 4s is a plan Viewl similanto Fig. 2 but at another stage of the process, 4after the channels shown in Figs. and 3, have been apart about two inches.

filled and the second setv of channels made alternating with those shown in Fig. 2. Fig.- 5 is a section on linel-'of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig.f 4 showing the appearance' after the lsurface has been trowelled over toforin a film overv the tops of the second set partially ll them.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7, Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional viewshowing the layer of cement and woody fibre inthe mold on top of the layer shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 i's' a plan View of a slab of. the finished imitation travertin i form.

Referring to the drawings: There is shownV at l a mold which may be o of' channels and its completed A rectangular or .any other-form,- shapeor size accordingyto the contourandsize of the block or slab which is to be molded. AIn making the imitation travertin there is deposited in the` mold a layer 2 of cement in aplastic state which is preferably formed by mixing Keens' cement or similar v cement' and. water to a' plastic consistency, about the consistency of stiff bread'dough. Prefer-ably this layer should be about l@ of an inch in depth, although it maybe more or less as desired according to the thickness ofthe facing desired and the use to which the slab .is to be put. The under surface of this bottom layer will ultimately be the lupper face ofthe slab when the entire slab is completed and removedfrom the mold as the slab .is built up with the face side down. .i

' While this face layer is in a plastic state there should be formed in it a. series-of reaks or channels 3 of somewhat irregular shape. As shown in the drawings' these breaks are in the form of jagged channels preferably running lengthwise -of the mold 1f the slab is to be of greater length than width. They are irregular in form both as 'to width and direction of coursel as they are 'formedby means of a stick or other suitable tool. The channels are preferably spaced After these channels are formed' the suri posing the bottom layer. This thinner' mixi ture istsubstantially liquidl form, sufficiently thin sol that it can be poured into the channels. This thin mixture vwhen dried or hardened Will have a much smoother surface than the plastic mass of the first layer and of a slightly different color and these smoother portions imitate the smooth strata .5 as shown at G in Figs. G and 7, and fills some portions of the channels 5 to the full depth as shown at 7 so that ou the under side there will appear a plurality of rows of pockets instead of a. series of' continuous channels. The partially filled portions Will show as pockets-S in the face afterthe entire slab is completed and 'removed' from the mold and turnedbottom side up, the side which was the bottom when in the mold then being the face side of theJ slab. It is obvious that if desired both sets of channelsA may be made before the thin filling 4: is introduced into one setofl channels but in such case greater care is required in pouring in the thin cement so as not to fill the other channels. It is therefore preferable to make the second set of channels after the first set are filled and trowelled over.

There is'preferably provided a backing 9 consisting of a mixture of Woody fibre and vcement which is mixed to a plastic consistency and`deposited'in'the'mold on top of the layer 2, as Ashown in Fig. 8.- This layer is preferably of greater depth than the'bottom or facing layer 2.. Preferably if the layer 2 is l@ of an inch thick, the second layer is about '-73 of an inch thick making the` total thickness of the material about '7/8,4 of an inch but the relative thickness of the two layersas well as the combined thickness will vary according to'desire.

This backing mixture consists 'of small piecesot wood or Woody material combined with cement, preferably the saine kind of cement as used in making thebottom layer,

thoroughly mixed into a. plastic mass and then put into 'the n'iold,'for1ning a layer of the' requisite thickness as shown in Fig. 8.'

This last layer should be put into the mold While the .first layer 2 of plastic cement as Well as the liquid filling for the first set of channels is still ina moist state as thereby the layer of cement and Woodyfibre ivill be-v come more firmly bonded Witlithe lower layer when the mass dries. This'niixture of f woody fibre'and cement is very much lighterA in weight than the-cement alone would be.

'lh/e'ivhole mass is allowed to dry and then removed from the mold. Tt will be found that all of the layers 'will be thoroughly bonded together as one solid mass. lVhen turned bottom side up it will appear as shown in Fig. 9. The face may then be finished off' by scouring or otherwise to give a more or less smooth finish as desired but the pockets formedby the partially filled channels Will still appear in the face side. There Will be smaller pockets 10 formed by the breaking of air bubbles formed in the under uine travertin. If it is to be nailed to studs,

boards or other supports, the nails should be inserted in the pockets or grooves and driven through the backing layer of cement and Woody libre into the backing support to which it is to be nailed.

The backing. of cement and fibre Will have a rough outer surface 11 which will enable it to adhere better to the plastered wall, terra cotta, brick, concrete or other sort of wall than if the backing were of' all cement.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making imitation trav- `ertin consisting of forming a plurality of cavities in a layer of plastic cement, filling said cavities with cement in a more fluid state than the body of said layer, forming other cavities in said layer While it is still plastic, spreading over thesurf'ace to form a bridge of cement over thetops of said last set of cavities and to partially fill them in places, ail/d then allowing the Whole mass to dryhhard.

Q "Ihe method of of plastic.cement a plurality ofopen spaces which extend'through said layer from the upper to the under side,filling some of said openin s Withcement ina more fluid state than tiat composing said ,1layer, forming other openings-in said layer, then lightly making imitation trav-., ertin which consists 1n forming in a layer.

spreading the'y surface material and .thereby A ing the surface material and thereby partially filling said second set of openings to forni pockets in the under face, then While' the cement of said layer is still moist superposing on thenpper face a layer of plastic cement mixed with Wood fibreand allowing the Whole mass to dry hard.

Y in said layer a plurality of openings of iril. The method of making imitation travertin consisting of depositing a. layer of.

cement in plastic form in a mold, forming regular form extending through the entire thickness of the layer, filling some of said openings with cement in a more fluid state than that of which said first layer is formed, forming other openings, then spreading over the face of said layer in a manner to bridge over the entrance to said openings with cement in a more fluid state' than that of which said .first layer is formed,

forming other openings, then spreading the face of said layer in a manner to bridge over the entrance to said other opening and" fill them in places,y leaving pockets in the under face, then While the cement of said layer is still moist, superposing thereon a layer ofplastic cement mixed With Wood fibre and allowing the ivhole mass to dry hard., v A

6. An imitation travertin consisting of a facing layer 0f cement having cavities filled withcement ofa smoother texture than the body vof said layer, and having other cavities which are left open on the face side.

7. An imitation travertin consisting of a facing layer of cement having cavities filled with cement of a smoother texture than the body of said layer, and having other cavities partially filled to form pockets on the face side, and a layer of mixed cement and wood bre on the back side ofsaid facing layer, said two layers being self-bonded together by the cement which eomposes the two layers.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

SALVATORE S. ZUTTOLL- 

